Ski rack for automobiles



. P 1954 -s. M. RICHMOND SKI RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 13, 1951Stanley M. Ricfimmd INVENTOR.

BY paw Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Stanley M.Richmond, Eugene, Oreg. Application July 13, 1951, Serial No. 236,598

, 1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to improvements in ski racks for carrying skis inautomobiles, especially, although not necessarily station wagons.

By way of premise, ski racks for transporting skis by automobile areusually placed on top or at the side of the vehicle and thereby expose,enroute, the skis to dust, rain and ice which gathers in small cracksand underlinings and fittings of the skis and hastens the deteriorationof the same.

Having the foregoing in mind, the primary object of my invention is toprovide a simple form of easily applied rack attachable inside of anautomobile, especiall a station wagon, to carry a large number of skisinside the body of the automobile in over head, out of the way, safe andprotected position, and so that the skis may be loaded into the body inracked position through the rear door or window of the vehicle.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claim are read withreference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of thespecification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in longitudinal'section and partlyin side elevation of a station wagon body having my improved ski rackattached therein;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 13 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the line3-3 of Figure 2 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the rack bar and meansfor attaching the same.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, in the preferred embodiment of myinvention illustrated therein, l designates the body of a conventionalstation wagon having a rear door 2, forward and rear frame uprights 3, 4between front and rear windows 5, 6 and connected by top bows 8, 9extending between the top In of the body I and the inner upholsterylayer or sheet ll. As is usual, one of the bows, that designated 9, isvertically aligned with the front uprights 3 and the top ID has adownwardly sloping front I2. These features are utilized to advantage inthe practice of my invention in a manner presently described.

According to my invention, a ski rack is procenter screw 2| is extendedthrough a center opening 22 in the bar l5 and turned into the bow 9 witha collar 23 thereon adapted to bear against the layer or sheet II. Acylindrical headed nut 24 threaded on to the screw 2| and fitting in theopening 22 with a washer 25 bearing against the bar I5 provides foradjusting the bar I 5 vertically. A pair of guide screws 26 between thecenter screw 2| and the screws l8 and having washers 21 thereon slidablyextend through openings 28 in the bar [5 and are turned into the how 9.The end portions I6 of the bar [5 are preferably curved in an arc of aradius greater than the curved longitudinal edges 29 of the top I0 tospace the same from said edges for a purpose presently apparent. 4

Preferably a rubber coating or layer 30, or some other soft resilientmaterial is provided on top of the bar l5 to be opposed to skis 3|positioned between said bar and the sheet III, which is to say the topH].

Referring now to the use and operation of the invention, with theterminal screws [8 loosened, the nut 24 is unscrewed so that the bar IEwill drop on the screws [8 and 26 sufficiently to accommodate skis 3|between the same and the layer l l, or top. The skis 3| are insertedthrough the rear door 2, toe 32 foremost, on top of said bar l5,side-by-side, to extend longitudinally of the body I and are preferablypushed forwardly until the toes thereof bear against the downwardlysloping front 12 of the top Ill. The nut 24 is then tightened to adjustthe bar l5 upwardly on the screws I8, 26, which will cause said skis,that is the cambered parts thereof, to be clamped between the bar l5 andthe layer H, or bow 9.

As will be seen, when the skis 3| are racked in the manner described,they will occupy unused space in the top I, are hidden from view fromthe outside of the vehicle, protected against damage from the weather,and are held securely the inventive concept, and right ishereintneserved;

to such modifications as formed in the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention,,what. is claimed as new is:

A ski rack comprising the combinationw-ith'ai top bow of an automobilebody and supporting uprights for the endstof. the bow, of. arack-barbeneath and-extending along. said bow and having; downturned. ends,slot. and screen devices; slidably connecting saiddownturnedendszto-said uprights for upward-.- adjustmentwofsaid: rack bar relativeto-said* bow-'to clamp. skis between said bow and rack bar and limiteddownward adjustment of the rack bar by gravity to release the skis,screw feed means depending from said bow through the center of said barfor adjusting said rack bar upwardly and including a headed nutrotatable in said rack bar with a washer thereon between the headthereof and said rack bar, and guide members depending from said bow and:slidable through said rack bar for guidihgz;said raclQbardiiringadjustmentnthereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber- Name Date 1,511,864. Altmyer Oct. 14, 1924 2,192,038 Hansen Feb.27, 1940 2,232,094- Canfield Feb. 18, 1941 2,242,391. Daniels May 20,1941 2,253,423 Fellers et a1 Aug. 19, 1941 2,493,158 Mitchell Jan. 3,1950 2,528,794 Seidler' Nov: 1, 1950 2,552,293 Pageet a1; May 8, 19512,575,458 Merrill Nov; 20'; 1951 2,599,824 Griffin June 10,1952

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